The Colorado Department of Transportation, in conjunction with Myers and Sons Construction, is embarking on a journey to overhaul the drainage along a one-mile stretch of Interstate 70, adjacent to Exit 285 leading to Airport Boulevard, with the intention of bolstering stormwater management, thereby raising the threshold of safety on this segment of highway, as detailed by CDOT.
In an effort to enhance water flow and diminish the peril of flooding, workers are tasked with cleansing the existing pipes and drains, reinforcing the current drainage structures, and integrating new trenches and channel filtration systems, during this process, roadway features such as new guardrails, signage, striping, and barriers are to be installed, all designed to curb the risk of hydroplaning, avert ice formation, and bolster visibility for drivers, all while aiming to extend the highway’s longevity by shielding the roads from water damage.
An important note for local motorists: the I-70 off-ramp to Airport Boulevard will undergo temporary nocturnal closure, scheduled to occur during the nights of Monday, Nov. 3, and tentatively Tuesday, Nov. 4, from 10 p.m. until the break of dawn at 6 a.m., this to afford workers the necessary margin of safety to erect the new barriers, during these closures, the Department advises a detour via Exit 283 onto Chambers Road, then East 32nd Avenue, to reach Airport Boulevard; disruption to the flow of traffic is expected to be minimal, with the project's page offering real-time updates.
Drivers should brace for further impacts with work hours spanning from the early rustlings at 6 a.m. to the waning daylight at 5:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, and as needed nighttime operations, further, a 12-foot width restriction will be in force throughout the area of construction, the work schedule, while meticulous in its planning, remains at the mercy of weather conditions and is subject to adjustments, all travelers are encouraged to employ caution upon navigating the zone of enhancement, for their own safety and that of the work crews present.
